5 comments about The Mythic City: Photographs of New York by Samuel H. Gottscho, 1925-1940.

1. I thought it was very apt to use the word mythic in the title of this wonderful book. Surely Samuel Gottscho as much as anyone helped to create the popular visual concept of the dynamic American metropolis, a city of towers by day and a kaleidoscope of dazzling light by night, his work must have especially influenced creative folk from comic book artists to Hollywood art directors, the graphic city image is straight out of his photos.
   
   Apart from the short intro essay the book is basically photos, divided into several sections and covering, for instance, bridges, Times Square, business, commercial and residential areas of Manhattan plus a few photos of the 1939 New York World's Fair. It is with the night photos where Gottscho really excelled. To achieve his luminous effect he took two exposures, one at dusk to define the building shapes and another some hours later to capture all the blazing window lights. I think these photos plus the ones of Times Square at night look quite stunning.
   
   Another reason I like the book is the coverage of streamline design that keeps on appearing in many of the photos, not just the skyscrapers but interiors of retail units, Radio City, some of the apartment interiors and obviously the '39 World's Fair.
   
   The book is well printed and designed and the paper makes the photos sparkle with their 200 dpi screen. The captions are basically the location, date and architect though frequently there is more detail provided where necessary. Overall I thought this was a fascinating photobook of what New York looked like in the recent past.
   
   ***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.



2. This book was a total waste of money and time. Boring, repetitive and uninspired photos taken years ago by an architectural photographer for his clients and I have no idea why someone thought this worthy of publication.
   
   I'm planning on returning it.



3. My husband and I used this beautiful book as a guestbook at our wedding.
   We met and fell in love in New York City. Now that we live abroad, we miss the place tremendously. The photos in the book are gorgeous and capture our love for the City. Our guests were very creative in using the book's format to write their wishes for us. I highly recommend this book if you love NYC!



4. A friend of mine travelled to NYC not long ago and fell in love with this city. So my idea was to find a beautiful album about NY as a birthday present, but I didn't want to buy anything with average photographs of skyscrapers that repeat from one calendar to another.
   Thanks to the snapshots provided to this book review I felt that it should have a personal touch and wouldn't be boring. It turned out to be true! now I'm thinking about ordering another one for myself.



5. Samuel Gottscho's wonderful photographs combine an architect's eye with the mood of an Edward Hopper painting. Cool but never cold, these photos are simply beautiful. The noir-flavored night shots are among the finest, with the chiaroscuro of a John Alton film. Gottscho had the luck to be living during one of New York's most photogenic periods, after most of the Art Deco classics had been built but before the postwar clutter of shoebox skyscrapers had set in.
   
   Technically, this collection is very well produced, with sharp, lustrous photos on high-quality paper. Highly recommended for any fan of vintage urban photographs.

2 comments about Hagstrom New York City 5 Borough Atlas (Hagstrom New York City Five Borough Atlas).

1. This comment is not only to say how well priced this easy to read map is- it is also to praise Amazon for their wonderful and fast customer service; the map arrived slightly damaged; customer service immediately sent a new one, without even waiting for the damaged one to be returned, for which we did not have to pay postage (which is only fair here!)
   " They" ( customer service) continue to be top notch in all aspects, which makes me a devoted Amazon customer.



2. This atlas replaced my 1989 atlas. The new atlas has maps which are clearer, and the book contains more information than the old edition. Both of these rate a plus. But the pages are printed on much thinner paper than the old edition. The book is spiral bound and the pages tear easily. Thinner paper means the book will wear out quickly, which is disappointing.

No comments about Fandex Family Field Guides: New York City (Fandex Family Field Guides).

No comments about eat.shop nyc: The Indispensable Guide to Inspired, Locally Owned Eating and Shopping Establishments (eat.shop guides).

3 comments about Only in New York: 400 Remarkable Answers to Intriguing, Provocative Questions About New York City.

1. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in New York City trivia and facts. The book covers all types of trivia from history to pop culture. The Q&A format of the book makes it an easy read, and easy to read if you only can read it a couple of minutes at a time (terrific bathroom reading material). It is a must have for any fans of the Sunday New York Times City Section, this book is a must have. It is a great book for anybody interested in a broad range of not-your-typical New York City trivia.



2. This is a wonderful font of fascinating, little-known information about New York. The little stories are just the right length for bathroom reading. Some are funny, others are outrageous, and still others are quite disturbing. Everything you ever wanted to know about New York, but never thought to ask.



3. I bought this book for a friend of mine who loves NYC trivia and is changing careers to become a NYC tour guide. She loves this book and has already used some of the information on some tours that she is in training for. Easy to read and very interesting informtaion.

5 comments about The New York Mapguide: Fifth Edition.

1. I went with some friends to Manhattan, and bought lots of different map books to easily get around. Upon getting to NYC, the New York Mapguide wasa the ONLY book we used. The information in it was everything we wanted, and more. It was so complete. I recommend 100% to all those going to Manhattan, that this will be the only book you'll use too.



2. Every year I go to NYC for a couple days vacation and this book comes with me everytime. It is small enough so it can fit anywhere and small enough that you can have it out and nobody could tell it is a map. It looks as though you are just reading a book. I have bought other guides but they never compare. I would recommend this mapguide to anyone visiting the best city in the world.



3. I have used this book twice when I have gone to New York City for a week at a time. The maps are accurate, the restaurant guides and entertainment tips help a great deal. This is the second edition of this book that I have purchased. If I go back to NYC again and there is another newer edition, I will definitely buy it as well.



4. I used this to travel to NY for the first time and it was great. It was also shipped fast.



5. Of the four items I purchased to help me navigate NYC, I would rate this as my second choice. It bills itself as a unique publication with information to enjoy Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx and it lives up to it's promise.
   This would be my number one choice it I were staying in NYC or visiting with my family. It has tons of tourist information, is very easy to use and very detailed. It has a section titled "Interesting Walks" which is very nice for anyone who would like to stroll the city and take it all in.

1 comments about The Marvel Comics Guide to New York City.

1. This Guide to New York City is Rich in history, anecdotes and Comic books-- what's that you say? you want to go to Hell's Kitchen so you look it up in this book and you'll find all about our Hell's Kitchen. But then Peter Sanderson takes you one step further and takes you through all of the historical places and Heroes that live and work in Hell's Kitchen(Daredevil/Matt Murdock) that are in the Marvel Universe.From Midtown and the fantastic four and the Baxter Building to Westchester County and the X-Men you'll find all sorts of info fun and pics. a worthwile investment for those who like to collect unusual guides to cities.

4 comments about Queens: What to Do, Where to Go (and How Not to Get Lost) in New York's Undiscovered Borough.

1. I'm told Queens is the new Brooklyn, and as a long-time Brooklyn resident I thought, Fuggedaboudit! But that was until I read Freudenheim's book. Wow. And I thought Queens was famous for Shea Stadium, the old Worlds Fair and two airports. I stand corrected, and after reading just one part of the book I'm hungry. Having already wet my whistle at the beer garden I think I'll head over to Flushing for some authentic Asian cuisine. I suggest you read this book and head to Queens too, before all the trustafarians and folks priced out of Brooklyn and Manhattan over-run the place.



2. Ellen Freudenheim's "Queens: What to Do, Where to Go (And How Not to Get Lost) in New York's Undiscovered Borough" is a delightful guidebook to an often forgotten part of New York City. As the author points out, "were it to secede from New York City today, Queens would be the fourth largest city in America." If you enjoy diversity and value history and culture, Queens is the place for you: 120 languages are spoken here, ethnic food stores and restaurants abound, and Queens features cultural institutions, historic sites, and sports venues that are well worth a visit. Like so many formerly underappreciated parts of New York City (many in Brooklyn), Queens is being rediscovered and is on the upswing.
   
   After an informative and witty introduction, Freudenheim devotes thirteen chapters to neighborhoods from Astoria (named after the wealthy fur trader, John Jacob Astor) to Woodside. Within these chapters, she covers the basics: where the neighborhood is located, how to get there, its history, things to see and do, where to shop, points of cultural interest, restaurants, and nightlife. Sprinkled throughout the chapters are lively anecdotes and essays, some written in the first person by Queens residents. At the back of the book are sections about JFK and LaGuardia Airports, tours you can take, and recommended Web sites. The detailed and well-organized subject and alphabetical indexes make the book easy to navigate.
   
   Even if you plan never to set foot in Queens, this guidebook is fun to read solely for its entertainment value. The author has a brisk and spunky writing style that makes "Queens" a browser's delight. Turn to any page, and you will find a fascinating tidbit of information presented with wit and verve. Did you know that jazz great Louis Armstrong lived in Queens for for twenty-eight years and that his house is a National Historic Landmark open to the public? I love New York (especially Brooklyn), but Ellen Freudenheim tempts me to board one of the many subway lines leading to the "hidden gems" of Queens.
   
   



3. Freudenheim, Ellen. Queens: What To Do, Where To Go (And How Not To Get Lost) in New York's Undiscovered Borough. Griffin: St. Martin's. 2006. c.336p. maps. index. ISBN 0-312-35818-0. pap. $17.95. TRAV
   Freudenheim, who wrote about the New York City borough of Brooklyn in Brooklyn!: The Ultimate Guide to New York's Most Happening Borough, now tackles Queens. She organizes the book by neighborhood, with each section containing information on how to get there, things to see and do, history, shopping, restaurants, and points of cultural interest. Walking tours and brief essays by community members are also included. Small, detailed neighborhood street maps are helpful for finding attractions and navigating the area. Freudenheim presents some very compelling reasons to visit, such as the ethnic food, world culture, and proximity to New York's airports (you'll be passing through, anyway), and further provides practical information like tips on decoding Queens' complicated street addresses. Not every restaurant or attraction is covered and reviews are brief, but the guide is packed with useful and entertaining information and nicely fills a niche by covering the borough exclusively. Freudenheim's enthusiasm for Queens is contagious. Recommended for libraries with large travel collections, particularly for those collecting New York travel guides.--Louise Feldmann, Colorado State Univ. Lib., Fort Collins



4. The following was written by Library Journal:
   
   Freudenheim, Ellen. Queens: What To Do, Where To Go (And How Not To Get Lost) in New York's Undiscovered Borough. Griffin: St. Martin's. 2006. c.336p. maps. index. ISBN 0-312-35818-0. pap. $17.95. TRAV
   Freudenheim, who wrote about the New York City borough of Brooklyn in Brooklyn!: The Ultimate Guide to New York's Most Happening Borough, now tackles Queens. She organizes the book by neighborhood, with each section containing information on how to get there, things to see and do, history, shopping, restaurants, and points of cultural interest. Walking tours and brief essays by community members are also included. Small, detailed neighborhood street maps are helpful for finding attractions and navigating the area. Freudenheim presents some very compelling reasons to visit, such as the ethnic food, world culture, and proximity to New York's airports (you'll be passing through, anyway), and further provides practical information like tips on decoding Queens' complicated street addresses. Not every restaurant or attraction is covered and reviews are brief, but the guide is packed with useful and entertaining information and nicely fills a niche by covering the borough exclusively. Freudenheim's enthusiasm for Queens is contagious. Recommended for libraries with large travel collections, particularly for those collecting New York travel guides.--Louise Feldmann, Colorado State Univ. Lib., Fort Collins

5 comments about At Sea in the City: New York from the Water's Edge.

1. City University of New York Professor Kornblum pays homage to what he describes as the New York archipelago. The full city consists mostly of three large islands, a bunch of small islands, and a peninsular. Professor Kornblum takes readers on a tour of the various waterways that tie the city together. Readers visit City Island off the Bronx Peninsular, Ellis and Liberty islands off lower Manhattan Island, and the Rikers Island Prison as well as several much smaller and less known rocks within the waterways. The author provides historical references and a crystal ball look into the future where nature in the present is fighting to regain a foothold from the vast urbanization. AT SEA IN THE CITY is an engaging look at the Big Apple from a different lens as the highways cross waters connecting the city such as the "byway" from Fulton St. in lower Manhattan to Fulton St. Brooklyn. Not just for natives, this is a wonderfully different perspective on New York that makes for a leisurely yet educational and enjoyable reading.

   Harriet Klausner




2. The author, a sociology professor at City University of New York, was raised in the Big Apple and has lived most of his life in the area. In 1979 he bought a 24-foot New England catboat, built on Cape Cod in 1910, and proceeded to fix it and sail it around the New York area.

   With this book he presents a portrait -- and sketchy history -- of the city from an angle few people know it. Structuring the story as a fairly continuous though interrupted sail from his home in Long Beach, around the southern tip of Rockaway and into Jamaica Bay, then into Upper New York Bay and the East River, and ultimately to Long Island Sound, Kornblum offers both close-up looks at the water and shoreline, and their past history.

   The approach is light and pleasant: Few stories -- whether of the freezing disaster of the privateer "Castel Del Rey" in New York harbor in 1704, knowledgeable black sailors impressed by the British Navy in the War of 1812 and jailed in England for refusing to serve against the US, various ferry disasters, or the vagaries of Robert Moses -- last more than a page or three. The only sections where Kornblum lingers are in Jamaica Bay (its environmental degradation and return), and the dockside concrete industry that built New York's towers and for which the author worked as a kid. Manhattan itself is quickly bypassed though given a loving nod, and there is no venturing into the Hudson side.

   In the typo sweepstakes, the book does all right, although it says "mechanical break" on p. 156 when "brake" was meant, and I believe I saw an unintended sentence fragment on p. 143. Most egregious, the great A.J. Liebling is identified on p. 103 as "Libeling" (though the name is correct in the bibliography)! A pity there apparently are youthful editors (I don't suppose there is such a thing as a proofreader in publishing anymore) who do not know this great journalist's work backward and forward.

   Another ominous development -- to this reader, anyway -- is that the lovely cover photograph is an unreal composite. Different photographers are credited for different portions of it. I find this vaguely disturbing.

   The writing is definitely four-star quality or better. Here's my favorite passage: "Up another shadowy bend stood two snowy egrets, with their outrageous yellow boots and platinum punk haircuts. How chic, these mudbank sushi bars. The egrets were spearing for sand bugs, moving along the edge of the marsh with the herky giant steps of students at a party stepping over empty beer cans."

   I give the book only three stars because it is slight. Probably an excellent gift for the average non-reader who happens to love sailing or New York City, or the casual reader who knows little about either, but I would have liked to know more.




3. This is the account of a sailboat cruise, but rather than crossing an ocean the author travels maybe 40 miles from home, into the maelstrom that is NY harbor. It's an interesting book, sort of, but I expected more history of the harbor, more about what the place is, and less of the author's personal experience.

   I expected the former thanks to a review in the NY Times, I think -- some newspaper, anyway -- that suggested it was less an ecological than an historical journey. Without this preconception, I probably would have liked the book more. If you're from NYC, it's worth a read, but there are many better sailing accounts if you want hairy-chested adventure, or to learn something about sailing in general. There are also better books about ecology of the shoreline.

   But the style is pleasant and the author seems like a man who would be an enjoyable sailing companion. That's worth three stars.




4. This is a delightful view of some of the Big Apple's waterfront. William Kornblum writes well, and I am pleased to meet the family, friends, and acquaintances of his journey. Having explored much of our city, and having studied many of the coasts from opposite shorelines, I nevertheless learned much from Kornblum's views from his catboat. I also enjoyed his flash-backs, particularly his days as a youth working at the Transit Mix dock. As another reader noted, the book has a few errors that should have been caught. The A train travels neither through The Bronx nor over Williamsburg Bridge (p. 91). In Red Hook, the parish school is within the Brooklyn diocese, not archdiocese (p. 122). When I find errors on topics I know well, I begin to worry that the publishing industry has a problem with fact-checking in non-fiction. Yet, I must say that this book is a thoroughly enjoyable meeting of humans, views, and story. I recommend this book as a gift.



5. I recommend this book, especially to those who know a little about New York City and about sailing. I like the writing style and the descriptions of New York as seen from the water.

4 comments about New York Calling: From Blackout to Bloomberg.

1. Mandatory reading on New York history. That sounds boring, doesn't it. Rephrase: learn about the blackout, the Bronx, graffiti artists, the drug trade, the sex scene, jazz, rock and punk, senegalese food, stuff you'd never think of or know was in the same boro as you. You should probably do it soon, as according to John Strausbaugh in an essay on gentrification, the mall-ification of SoHo, the "cleanup" of Times Square, "the island is rapidly being leeched of much of its character."
   
   I wouldn't describe this book as particularly cheery or as having a positive outlook on the future of the city, (it certainly wasn't written by the Travel and Tourism Board), but I think anyone not living in New York who is considering a move here should read this, primarily so you have some idea about recent New York history, and secondly so you're aware before you give notice at your hometown job (the one where your salary and your cost of living would recognize each other if they passed on the street) that today's city ain't the same New York of the 70s 80s 90s written about here, the one built by Hilly Kristal, Allen Ginsberg, James Brown, Warhol, Klaus Nomi, Hubert Selby, Ol' Dirty Bastard, but rather a watered-down (whited-down?) variant.
   
   I liked that with 29 essays contributing to under 400 pages, nothing ran too long where I felt myself getting bored with one topic before coming to the next one. Also, hundreds of candid photos show everyday life in seemingly countless neighborhoods.



2. I bought this book after attending a reading in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) given by one of the co-editors & two of the book's writers (Luc Sante who wrote the outstanding essay "Commerce" & Tim McLouglin who wrote the essay on New York crime.) I've just finished the book and the main thing that became clear to me is, in line with recent trends in New York City as a whole, this might be the best Brooklyn book I've ever read. Brian Berger's essay "Who Walk In Brooklyn" is the standout (it begins with two epigraphs, one by my favorite writer Gilbert Sorrentino and the other by Ol' Dirty [...]) but pieces on civil rights, crime, small daily life and black cultural empowerment all take place largely in that borough. Fans of Brooklyn writer Jonathan Lethem won't be disappointed but most likely WILL be surprised at learning there's a lot more there to talk about. I was also extremely pleased to see the detailed and plugged-in attention the Bronx received, not just the usual cliches about fires, baseball & the birth of hip-hop. If there is a weak spot in the book, it's that although Berger and others go some way towards detailing the fullness of Latino cultures in the city, a little more salsa and a little less punk would have been nice. But at least after reading this, you'll know which Mexican joint in East Harlem makes the best pozole, that the little lunch counter by Lefferts Boulevard in Queens is Ecuadoran and that Puerto Ricans built Brooklyn too. The same goes for African-Americans, West Indians & Africans, Lebanese, Syrian & Greek & so forth: if Manhattan is becoming whiter, more expensive & less interesting, this book celebrates the abundance of new cultures as much as it reminiscently mourns the old ones.



3. At its frequent best, "New York Calling" has the scope of an encylopedia and the sweep of a novel. While Marshall Berman kicks things off in trademark mensch of the people style, it's the wide range of attentions given to street life of nearly every kind that makes this book special. Well-known contributors like Luc Sante, Tom Robbins, John Strausbaugh and Jim Knipfel are all predictably terrific but it's the boroughs that are brought most vividly, and uniquely, to the fore. Steve Maluk's Staten Island piece is a celebration and subtle 9/11 memorial all-in-one, CJ Sullivan's Boogie Down essay picks up where Jonathan Mahler left off in "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Bronx Is Burning" and Jean Thilmany's account of old folks at home in Italian Williamsburg (she lived next door to Manhattan Special) was wonderfully drawn.
   
   As for New York's most populous (and popular?) borough, Brian Berger's "Who Walk In Brooklyn" might be the first piece on modern BK that gets ALL of it, or as much as could fit in seventeen action-packed pages. From Albemarle to Avenue Z, from the criminal to the sublime, with slavery, shanty towns, brutal labor strikes, mafia wars, sand dunes, salt marshes and the rush of food, music, noise, excitement and anger that every true Brooklynite recognizes as their own. Less ecstatic but equally important are the African-American voices of Armond White and Leonard Greene, each of whom cast a colder eye on the realities of race in what is, after all, also city's blackest borough.
   
   Lastly, although I didn't notice until a particularly grueling airport layover, Berger also wrote three panoramic section introductions and, at the end of the book, an eccentric 1964-2007 Chronology that's really quite thrilling. (If you see the book in a store, start here.) Others have noted the terrific photography but also hiding near the back is five page photo key with hundreds of detailed, often witty CAPTIONS, placing nearly every location down to the exact block. Imagine my surprise when I realized that whoa! Here were photos of Bay Ridge, where I now live; Midwood, where I went to high school; the Gowanus Canal, where my father worked and East New York, where my grandparents lived. I gave a copy of this as a gift my 85-year-old Aunt Nana in Florida. Nana grew up in the Bronx, lived in all the boroughs but Staten and she LOVED IT, graffiti, drugs, gentrification, the wacky art world, hip-hop, jazz, Rockaway Beach, Astoria, the Lower East Side-- nothing fazed her, although she wishes she hadn't sold her house in Park Slope 30 years ago for... oh, my she can't even say it!
   
   But I will: at last a book BY New Yorkers FOR New Yorkers, or anyone who wants to know why the natives are sometimes restless. A jillion thumbs up, two slices to go please, and if I could pay with old Show World or subway tokens, I'd treat all the writers to a night out at Randazzo's... or at least Roll N Roaster, hah.



4. I didn't enjoy this book as much as I was hoping. I think it's a little too "inside joke/story". Definitely geared towards actual New York city folk - which is cool - except I live in Seattle- har har!!